It rarely happens in a single moment.
Leaders don’t wake up one morning deciding to make poor choices. More often, it is a slow drift, a subtle compromise here, a “just this once” exception there. Months later, you find yourself steering an organisation that is no longer guided by its core values but by convenience, urgency, or unspoken pressures. It is like a ship captain adjusting the wheel by a single degree; harmless in the short term, but 500 miles later, you are nowhere near the intended destination.
I once worked with an executive team that prided itself on its “decisiveness”. Yet, over three years, their decision-making had quietly shifted from principle-based to reaction-based. They were still busy, still making moves, but they were no longer moving in the right direction. The danger wasn’t that they lacked skill; it was that they didn’t realise how far they had drifted.
“Teams quickly sense when leadership choices feel inconsistent or misaligned. They may not articulate it, but they feel it, and that feeling slowly weakens engagement, accountability, and loyalty.”
Decision drift is one of the most underdiagnosed leadership challenges in organisations today. It is rarely malicious and often comes disguised as “adaptability” or “speed”. Yet research from McKinsey shows that companies that consistently anchor decisions to clear strategic priorities outperform competitors by up to 60 percent in long-term value creation. The problem isn’t flexibility; it is losing sight of the true north.
Why does drift happen? Sometimes it is the pressure to deliver short-term results at the expense of long-term impact. Sometimes it is decision fatigue because leaders make so many calls in a week that the cognitive energy to evaluate each choice against the mission simply runs out. And sometimes, it is the invisible pull of external noise, stakeholder demands, market chatter, or internal politics, overpowering the organisation’s own compass.
But here is the deeper truth: decision drift doesn’t just affect organisational outcomes; it erodes trust. Teams quickly sense when leadership choices feel inconsistent or misaligned. They may not articulate it, but they feel it, and that feeling slowly weakens engagement, accountability, and loyalty.
If last week’s focus was on leadership radar, with emphasis on tuning into unspoken signals, now this week is about leadership alignment: keeping your decisions rooted in purpose so your team always knows the “why” behind the “what”.
In my work with leaders across industries, I have seen three disciplines that keep decision drift at bay.
First, leaders must revisit their decision-making criteria regularly. Ask yourself, “What are the non-negotiables that must guide every choice, no matter the pressure?” This isn’t about a long mission statement on the wall; it is about a handful of living principles that actively shape meetings, budgets, and strategies.
Read also: The leadership thermostat: Regulating culture before it boils over
Second, leaders need visible alignment rituals. At Amazon, every major project proposal starts with a “press release from the future” that outlines how the initiative will impact customers. It is a clever way to force clarity and prevent decisions from drifting away from the company’s customer-first ethos. You can adopt your own version, whether it is a five-minute “values check” before approving big changes or asking each leader to explain how their proposal supports the organisation’s long-term objectives.
Third, leaders must slow down certain decisions, especially the ones that feel “urgent” but carry long-term consequences. A Harvard Business Review study found that executives who deliberately paused before major choices not only made better decisions but also increased team trust by 40%. Sometimes, the most strategic move is to resist the reflex to decide now and instead create space for reflection.
Take a look at your last five major decisions. If you stripped away the context and only looked at the reasoning, would someone unfamiliar with your organisation be able to identify your core values from those choices?
If the answer is yes, you are aligned. If the answer is no or if it takes too long to explain, definitely a drift may be happening. This exercise works for teams as well. Ask department heads to review recent choices and connect them explicitly to organisational priorities. It is not about blame; it is about awareness.
Another simple but powerful tactic is the “future test”. Before finalising a decision, ask, “If this choice becomes part of our organisational story five years from now, will we be proud of it?” This reframes the conversation from short-term gains to enduring integrity.
Where in my recent decision-making have I traded clarity for speed?
Have I allowed external pressures to dictate direction more than our own mission?
Read also: Leadership radar: The leader’s edge in sensing the unspoken
If my team were to list our top three guiding principles, would their answers match mine?
When was the last time I revisited and re-communicated the criteria for making strategic decisions?
This week, choose one upcoming decision, big or small, and run it through a values alignment checkpoint. Clearly articulate to your team why the choice fits your organisation’s mission and long-term goals. Invite them to challenge you if they see drift.
Because leadership isn’t just about making decisions; it is about making them in a way that keeps the whole ship on course, no matter how strong the winds of urgency or opinion may blow.
About the author:
Dr Toye Sobande is a strategic leadership expert, executive coach, lawyer, public speaker, and award-winning author. He is the CEO of Stephens Leadership Consultancy LLC, a strategy and management consulting firm offering creative insight and solutions to businesses and leaders. Email: contactme@toyesobande.com
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